In May 2025, 2.8 billion U.S. dollars were paid out in unemployment benefits in the United States. This is a decrease from April 2025, when 3.2 billion U.S. dollars were paid in unemployment benefits. The large figures seen in 2020 are largely due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Welfare in the U.S. Unemployment benefits first started in 1935 during the Great Depression as a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The Social Security Act of 1935 ensured that Americans would not fall deeper into poverty. The United States was the only developed nation in the world at the time that did not offer any welfare benefits. This program created unemployment benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, and maternal and child welfare. The only major welfare program that the United States currently lacks is a paid maternity leave policy. Currently, the United States only offers 12 unpaid weeks of leave, under certain circumstances. However, the number of people without health insurance in the United States has greatly decreased since 2010. Unemployment benefits Current unemployment benefits in the United States vary from state to state due to unemployment being funded by both the state and the federal government. The average duration of people collecting unemployment benefits in the United States has fluctuated since January 2020, from as little as 4.55 weeks to as many as 50.32 weeks. The unemployment rate varies by ethnicity, gender, and education levels. For example, those aged 16 to 24 have faced the highest unemployment rates since 1990 during the pandemic. In February 2023, the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV metropolitan area had the highest unemployment rate in the United States.

Graph and download economic data for Government current expenditures: Income security: Unemployment (G160381A027NBEA) from 1959 to 2024 about social assistance, expenditures, government, income, unemployment, GDP, and USA.

In August 2024, the average unemployment benefit collection duration in the United States reached a peak, amounting to 14.25 weeks. As the labor market weakens, average duration increases and as the labor market strengthens the average duration declines.

In a 2023 report to Congress, it was shown that there were *** unemployment benefits program fraud cases opened in the United States between April and September of that year. Furthermore, *** cases were referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution.

Graph and download economic data for Initial Claims (ICSA) from 1967-01-07 to 2025-11-22 about initial claims, headline figure, and USA.

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States decreased to 216 thousand in the week ending November 22 of 2025 from 222 thousand in the previous week. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Initial Jobless Claims - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2024, six percent of the Black or African-American population in the United States were unemployed, the highest unemployment rate of any ethnicity. In 2024, the national unemployment rate stood at four percent.

Graph and download economic data for Individual Income Tax Filing: Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): Unemployment Compensation (UMPCPSA) from 1999 to 2016 about AGI, individual, compensation, tax, income, unemployment, and USA.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits (NYS)

Beneficiary Counts and Benefit Amounts By Region and County

By State of New York [source]

About this dataset

This dataset provides a powerful opportunity to analyze and understand the effects of unemployment insurance in New York State from 2001 to present. It provides a comprehensive overview of the monthly counts for individuals receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits, as well as the total amount of benefits received from New York State. In addition, data are provided for all 10 labor market regions in the state, which enables an assessment of local labor markets and helps inform strategies for improving regional employment outcomes. Moreover, information on out-of-state residents receiving benefits is also included in these data – allowing a unique cross-border examination. Therefore, with this dataset on hand it is possible to gain insights into how recipients are being affected by economic trends across different sectors, cities and counties throughout New York State. With these insightful statistics at our disposal we can better understand who has been affected by financial ups and downs across our state over time – enabling us to take smarter steps forward!

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How to use the dataset

This dataset provides an in-depth look at the number of people receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits in New York State as well as the total amount of these benefits paid out by the state from 2001 through present. The data is broken down by state, labor market region, and county. It includes Unemployment Insurance (UI) Compensation, Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE), Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service Members (UCX), Shared Work (SW) and Self Employment Assistance Program (SEAP).

Research Ideas

• Employers in New York can measure the impact of their business decisions on unemployment insurance beneficiaries in their regions over a specific period of time. This can help them better assess the effectiveness of their decisions, and identify where there are gaps that need to be addressed or areas they should focus on.
• Education organizations and institutions can compare unemployment insurance beneficiary trends within counties vs regionally to identify in-demand job concentrations and create programming around those skills sets needed by employers.
• Policymakers can analyze this dataset to understand the current state of unemployment benefits, including frequency of claims, regional variations, and amount paid out per month in order to ensure an equitable distribution of resources throughout the state

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. Data Source

License

See the dataset description for more information.

Columns

File: unemployment-insurance-beneficiaries-and-benefit-amounts-paid-beginning-2001-1.csv | Column name | Description | |:------------------|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Year | Year of the data. (Integer) | | Month | Month of the data. (String) | | Region | Region of New York State. (String) | | County | County of New York State. (String) | | Beneficiaries | Number of individuals receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits. (Integer) |

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit the original authors. If you use this dataset in your research, please credit State of New York.

The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program is a federal-state cooperative effort in which monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment are prepared for over 7,500 areas: Census regions and divisionsStatesMetropolitan Statistical AreasMetropolitan DivisionsMicropolitan Statistical AreasCombined Metropolitan Statistical AreasSmall Labor Market AreasCounties and county equivalentsCities of 25,000 population or moreCities and towns in New England regardless of population These estimates are key indicators of local economic conditions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for the concepts, definitions, technical procedures, validation, and publication of the estimates that state workforce agencies prepare under agreement with BLS. A wide variety of customers use these estimates: Federal programs use the data for allocations to states and areas, as well as eligibility determinations for assistance.State and local governments use the estimates for planning and budgetary purposes and to determine the need for local employment and training services.Private industry, researchers, the media, and other individuals use the data to assess localized labor market developments and make comparisons across areas. The concepts and definitions underlying LAUS data come from the Current Population Survey (CPS), the household survey that is the source of the national unemployment rate. State monthly model-based estimates are controlled in "real time" to sum to national monthly employment and unemployment estimates from the CPS. These models combine current and historical data from the CPS, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, and state unemployment insurance (UI) systems. Estimates for seven large areas and their respective balances of state also are model-based. Estimates for counties are produced through a building-block approach known as the "Handbook method." This procedure also uses data from several sources, including the CPS, the CES program, state UI systems, and the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), to create estimates that are adjusted to the statewide measures of employment and unemployment. Estimates for cities are prepared using disaggregation techniques based on inputs from the ACS, annual population estimates, and current UI data.

Continued Claims for UI released by the CT Department of Labor. Continued Claims are total number of individuals being paid benefits in any particular week. Claims data can be access directly from CT DOL here: https://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/claimsdata.asp

Claims are disaggregated by age, education, industry, race/national origin, sex, and wages.

The claim counts in this dataset may not match claim counts from other sources.

Unemployment claims tabulated in this dataset represent only one component of the unemployed. Claims do not account for those not covered under the Unemployment system (e.g. federal workers, railroad workers or religious workers) or the unemployed self-employed.

Claims filed for a particular week will change as time goes on and the backlog is addressed.

For data on continued claims at the town level, see the dataset "Continued Claims for Unemployment Benefits by Town" here: https://data.ct.gov/Government/Continued-Claims-for-Unemployment-Benefits-by-Town/r83t-9bjm

For data on initial claims see the following two datasets:

"Initial Claims for Unemployment Benefits in Connecticut," https://data.ct.gov/Government/Initial-Claims-for-Unemployment-Benefits/j3yj-ek9y

"Initial Claims for Unemployment Benefits by Town," https://data.ct.gov/Government/Initial-Claims-for-Unemployment-Benefits-by-Town/twvc-s7wy

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program is a cooperative program involving the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the United States Department of Labor and the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs). The QCEW program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Publicly available data files include information on the number of establishments, monthly employment, and quarterly wages, by NAICS industry, by county, by ownership sector, for the entire United States. These data are aggregated to annual levels, to higher industry levels (NAICS industry groups, sectors, and supersectors), and to higher geographic levels (national, State, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)). To download and analyze QCEW data, users can begin on the QCEW Databases page. Downloadable data are available in formats such as text and CSV. Data for the QCEW program that are classified using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) are available from 1990 forward, and on a more limited basis from 1975 to 1989. These data provide employment and wage information for arts-related NAICS industries, such as: Arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS Code 71) Performing arts and spectator sports Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks Amusements, gambling, and recreation Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS Code 54) Architectural services Graphic design services Photographic services Retail trade (NAICS Code 44-45) Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores Book, periodical, and music stores Art dealers For years 1975-2000, data for the QCEW program provide employment and wage information for arts-related industries are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. These arts-related SIC industries include the following: Book stores (SIC 5942) Commercial photography (SIC Code 7335) Commercial art and graphic design (SIC Code 7336) Museums, Botanical, Zoological Gardens (SIC Code 84) Dance studios, schools, and halls (SIC Code 7911) Theatrical producers and services (SIC Code 7922) Sports clubs, managers, & promoters (SIC Code 7941) Motion Picture Services (SIC Code 78) The QCEW program serves as a near census of monthly employment and quarterly wage information by 6-digit NAICS industry at the national, state, and county levels. At the national level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data for almost every NAICS industry. At the State and area level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data down to the 6-digit NAICS industry level, if disclosure restrictions are met. Employment data under the QCEW program represent the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period including the 12th of the month. Excluded are members of the armed forces, the self-employed, proprietors, domestic workers, unpaid family workers, and railroad workers covered by the railroad unemployment insurance system. Wages represent total compensation paid during the calendar quarter, regardless of when services were performed. Included in wages are pay for vacation and other paid leave, bonuses, stock options, tips, the cash value of meals and lodging, and in some States, contributions to deferred compensation plans (such as 401(k) plans). The QCEW program does provide partial information on agricultural industries and employees in private households. Data from the QCEW program serve as an important source for many BLS programs. The QCEW data are used as the benchmark source for employment by the Current Employment Statistics program and the Occupational Employment Statistics program. The UI administrative records collected under the QCEW program serve as a sampling frame for BLS establishment surveys. In addition, data from the QCEW program serve as a source to other Federal and State programs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the Department of Commerce uses QCEW data as the base for developing the wage and salary component of personal income. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor and the SESAs use QCEW data to administer the employment security program. The QCEW data accurately reflect the ex

Graph and download economic data for Continued Claims (Insured Unemployment) (CCSA) from 1967-01-07 to 2025-11-15 about continued claims, headline figure, insurance, unemployment, and USA.

This dataset contains an annual summary of the statewide Unemployment Insurance claims and payment activities in Iowa. This data is based on the ETA-5159 report that IWD submits to the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. (The number of UI recipients is the only exception.)

Graph and download economic data for State and Local government current expenditures: Coverage differences: Unemployment insurance fund benefits paid (NIPA vs. Census) (L319291A027NBEA) from 1959 to 2022 about residual, paid, state & local, benefits, insurance, expenditures, government, unemployment, GDP, and USA.

The U.S. Department of Labor has been working collaboratively with our state partners to identify several robust strategies that focus on the prevention of overpayments and will yield the highest impact in reducing UI improper payment rates.

Improper Unemployment Insurance benefit payments are most likely to occur when:

Recipients continue to claim benefits after returning to work; Employers or their third party administrators do not submit timely or accurate separation information; and Claimants fail to register with the state's Employment Service (ES) as dictated by state law. Earlier this year, the Department actively intervened to encourage the ten states with the highest Employment Service registration error rates to focus on the issue. Senior DOL officials personally contacted these states to determine specific steps the states would take to address their error rates, and the Department provided targeted technical assistance.

As a result, dramatic progress is being made in this area, with a 23% reduction in improper payments to people who did not register with employment services agencies, including a more than 35% drop in eight states.

Continued Claims for UI released by the CT Department of Labor. Continued Claims are total number of individuals being paid benefits in any particular week.

The claim counts in this dataset may not match claim counts from other sources.

Unemployment claims tabulated in this dataset represent only one component of the unemployed. Claims do not account for those not covered under the Unemployment system (e.g. federal workers, railroad workers or religious workers) or the unemployed self-employed.

Claims filed for a particular week will change as time goes on and the backlog is addressed.

Continued Claims for UI released by the CT Department of Labor. Continued Claims are total number of individuals being paid benefits in any particular week.

The claim counts in this dataset may not match claim counts from other sources.

Unemployment claims tabulated in this dataset represent only one component of the unemployed. Claims do not account for those not covered under the Unemployment system (e.g. federal workers, railroad workers or religious workers) or the unemployed self-employed.

Claims filed for a particular week will change as time goes on and the backlog is addressed.

View weekly updates and historical trends for US Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance. from United States. Source: Department of Labor. Track economi…